How Do I Recover
by Max Smith
Summary: Mahad Fox never thought that friendship was important, but that thought changes when he meets a group of boys who prove to be great friends. However a secret about Mahad gets revealed putting friendship to the test. Will the boys be able to stop Mahad, or will he isolate himself again and do much worse to himself? Warning: self harm in later chapters. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Mahad Fox felt the butterflies in his stomach increase as he got out of the car. "Try took make friends" smiled his father as he handed his son his belongings. "I'll try" said Mahad putting on his backpack "bye dad."

"Bye son."

Mahad took a deep breath and entered Eagle High. He didn't know why he was a nervous wreck; the first day of school should be nothing big to him since he was a junior now. _Oh it is a big deal_, thought Mahad_, all those new teachers, getting adjusted to class and all the new types of lessons. _

Eagle High buzzed with students, the poor ASB students crowded as freshmen students tried to ask them for directions to the class they needed to go to in order to get their schedules. Friends greeting friends. Staff members chatting, all agreeing that every new year promised a new trouble maker in their new classes. Sport fans chatted about how determined or undetermined they felt about their high school's football team. Gossip girls getting ready to fish out the greatest secrets. The smart kids standing in a group discussing how the high school library should have its schedule changed that way it opened one the first day of school, not a week after. Groups of friends standing under a tree, by a bench, or in front of a classroom door, wondering about their new teachers.

Mahad didn't notice any of this; all of this went by him like a blur. He was mostly focused in trying to reach the class he had been going to for the last two years to get his schedule, doing his best to doge the herd of students. By the time Mahad reached the class, the school bell rang, signaling the students to go to the temporary class they've been assigned to go. _Another year_, thought Mahad as he sat in a corner of the class, _of having no friends and being alone. It's not like I mind, I chose this path for myself, to remain alone. Who needs friends? School isn't a playground; it's like college, where you only come here to learn. _"Is this place taken?" Mahad was snapped out of his thoughts and looked up finding himself looking at a boy who had black hair that went to his shoulders and green eyes. "Oh…n-no" said Mahad when he realized that the boy was in fact talking to him. "Thanks…my name is Karim Blaze." Karim held out his hand. "I'm Mahad Fox" said Mahad as he shook Karim's hand. "You a junior Mahad?" Mahad nodded his head. "Great! So am I! I can tell that me and you will be great friends!" beamed Karim. _Friends_, thought Mahad_, well…there went my opportunity of spending my free time at the library, but yet how can Karim just announce that we'll be friends just like that? We've barely met and he's already talking about how we'll be great friends._

"Usually I sit with my pals" said Karim, snapping Mahad out of his thoughts once again "but I don't see them anywhere, guess they got put in another class."

"Oh" was the only thing Mahad could say

"Good morning class, please if I can have your attention" spoke a teacher as she stood in the front of the class, holding a pile of papers in her arm. The class fell silent. "Thank you, now when I call your name please come up so I can give you your schedules. Now then, let's start…Jack Andrews"

"Here" the boy, Jack Andrews stood up and walked over to the teacher, thanking her when she gave him his schedule and took his seat. The teacher called more names.

"Blimey, me and you have 2 classes together, and the same lunch period, we'll get to spend more time together. So Mahad, where do you usually go at lunch?"

"Uhm…the cafeteria" lied Mahad, he hadn't had a friend or even anybody to talk to ever since elementary, last thing he needed was for Karim to think that he was a nerd if he learned that Mahad usually went to the library during lunch. "Okay then, we'll meet there and I can introduce you to my friends, I know they'll like you Mahad" said Karim. "I hope so" said Mahad. "I know so" grinned Karim "you'll like my friends. There's Atem, he's a great friend and Shada, he's really nice, you'll like him too. Seto can be a jerk some times, but don't worry about that. He's usually with us so he can keep an eye on his cousin, Atem, or that's what he claims to be doing. I think the guy is lonely and just wants to hang out. Can't say I blame him, imagine not having friends." _I don't need to imagine that_, thought Mahad and the school bell rang again signaling the time to head to first period.

"Catch you later Mahad, see you at lunch, you'd better come or I'll drag you to my friends by your ear" laughed Karim. "Don't worry I'll come" said Mahad as Karim ran out and he walked out of the class_, I'll only meet your friends once, stay with you for only one lunch and then forget about you guys, you'll all forget about me and I'll return in going back to spending my lunches in the library for the rest of the school year._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi it's me again; I just wanted to point out a few things: **

**I do not own any of the Yugioh characters and I'd really, really, really, really would appreciate it if you could review. I'd be really happy if you do so (I know I'm using the word 'really' a lot).**

**This story is dictated to a friend who thought that the only way of escaping his troubles was by cutting himself, when in the end it was, us…his friends.**

**WARNING: SELF HARM IN LATER CHAPTERS**

**P.S.: I'm still trying to figure out how to work on Fan-Fiction, sorry about not telling you earlier.**

**Enjoy…**

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"I saw Karim today he said that he met a new friend" said Shada as he sat on a lunch table across from Atem and Seto. Seto, who had his face buried in a book, rolled his eyes "That football player got hit in the head to many times."

"I think it's cool that Karim made a new friend" said Atem, knowing what his cousin meant by that comment. "As if, that boy is making friends with everybody he sees, friends with random people" said Seto, still reading. "So you disapprove of Karim making friends?" asked Shada. "Exactly" said Seto and he put down his book when he noticed Karim making his way towards them, behind him was a boy with light brown hair that went to his shoulders and hazel eyes.

Seto was a boy who could understand a person by body language; he could see the boy was nervous as he hugged his books, standing close and behind Karim when they reached the table that the three boys had occupied. "Hi" said Atem to the boy, who nodded his back in a friendly gesture. "Guys this is Mahad and he'll be our new pal" smiled Karim. Seto wondered if Karim's face ever got sore by all the smiling he did. "I see Mahad as a great guy" he rapped a shoulder around Mahad, and Seto noticed him tense. "The guy with the wild hair is Atem, that over there is Shada, and the guy who looks like he's planning on how to make your day miserable is Seto" introduced Karim once he and Mahad took a seat. "A pleasure to meet you all" said Mahad, not making eye contact with anyone of them. "Come on Mahad, lighten up" said Karim slapping Mahad on his back, making the boy send his books sliding around the table. Atem laughed when a textbook pushed Seto's book into his lap, and that textbook and another followed. Seto glared. "S-sorry" said Mahad "it was an accident, I didn't mean it." Seto picked up the book, that's when he noticed what the books where "you take AP Calculus?" Mahad nodded his head. "How? I tried getting in, but they refused me" said Seto handing Mahad his books back. "I took Algebra 2 in eighth grade" said Mahad. "But wont you need to take Geometry?" asked Seto. Mahad shook his head "I took that over the summer."

"Well, I knew I befriended a smart friend! Come on Mahad, lets go get lunch" said Karim though he didn't give Mahad a chance as he dragged him out of he seat and headed to get their lunch. "Seems like a good guy" said Shada. Atem nodded his head and stood up" I'm going with them, catch you later."

Seto narrowed his eyes as he watched his cousin run to the two boys. "Something wrong?" asked Shada. "I can't find any faults in that guy" said Seto more to himself than to Shada. "What?" asked Shada, only to be ignored as Seto opened Mahad's AP Calculus textbook. Shada shook his head and went after his friends, and found Seto following him, Mahad's textbook under his arm. "Your not planning to give that boy a hard time are you Seto?" asked Shada, earning a smirk from his friend. "You know me will Shada."

"But he-"

"No buts Shada" said Seto "if he's a true friend like Karim claims him to be, then it should be no problem." _This wont end well_, thought Shada. True, Karim made many friends, only to be chased away by Seto's attitude who said that if they were true friends then they would accept Seto as who he was, him and his attitude. So Seto did this- what Shada liked to call- test, he would allow his attitude to fall on the person and see how they respond, the way they responded showed everybody who they were. A true friend would deal with Seto's attitude, while a non-true friend would just leave, that's what Seto thought, and Shada thought it was complete nonsense.

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Seto found Mahad chatting away with Atem like they where long lost friends, and that annoyed him, no stranger was allowed to talk to Atem unless he was around. Atem called Seto an over protective cousin and Seto called it doing his job as a big cousin. "Go easy on him" Seto heard Shada say as he marched towards Mahad, who looked at Seto when he came towards them, and thrust the textbook in Mahad's arms. "I want you to teach me, got it" hissed Seto "if you don't then you can pack your bag of friendship goodbye."

Atem moaned, sometimes he worried about his cousin, he could be a real pain or just arrogant, but he was surprised when Mahad nodded his head, in a calm manner; usually people at this point would be stepping away. "Really, a nod is all you could give me" said Seto, Karim left his tray at the counter in front of a cafeteria lady and marched up to Seto, he hated it when Seto did things like this.

"Not again Seto! Go bug somebody else" frowned Karim. "You stay out of this Karim!" hissed Seto. "No! Not until you quit being a jerk, just leave the guy alone" said Karim. "I did nothing to the boy" said Seto. "Yeah right" said Karim. "Actually Karim, he did nothing" said Mahad. Karim looked at Mahad with wide eyes "wait? What?"

"He just asked if I could teach him calculus and I agreed, that's all, I promise" said Mahad. Seto smirked at the Mahad, _the boy has guts and I like that._

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**That's it for now, I'm not really good with the whole introduction thing, you know when a friend meets a friend and they become great friends. I usually do that really quickly. Please, please review and tell me what you think. Did you like it? Do I need to fix or change something? Do I need to improve on something or someone? Reviews are encouraged :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi this chapter is going to be kind of short. I feel a bit under the weather, that's why.**

**WARNING: LATER CHAPTERS HAVE SELF HARM**

**As usual, I do not own any of the Yugioh characters.**

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After spending a few more days with Atem, Karim, Shada, and Seto. Mahad completely forgot about planning to spend the rest of the school year alone, well…not really, sometimes it would come, but Mahad would push that thought aside. He liked his new friends, Atem felt like a brother to him and Mahad was happy when he figured that he had his last two classes with him. Shada seemed wise, and Mahad enjoyed the boy's knowledge, but sadly he only had one class with him. Karim was energetic and he made the two classes that he and Mahad went together amazing. As for Seto, Mahad had him in _all_ of his classes. None of them spoke to each other, though they sat next, in front, or behind each other in most of the classes (Seto usually walked up to Mahad and sat next to him). However, Seto would shoot Mahad glares, and Mahad would busy himself with the work in front of him. It wasn't until Mahad's free period, which was third, that Seto caught up to him, telling Mahad that he expected Mahad to stay to his promise, so they planned to meet up in the library after school.

Now Mahad was thinking about leaving his friends and spending the rest of the school year alone as he noticed Seto walk towards the table towards him and, much to Mahad's dismay, sit right next to him. Mahad took out his textbook without saying anything, what was he to say? He opened it to the first chapter and took out his notebook "You used to come here?" asked Seto out of the blue. "Pardon?" asked Mahad. "You heard me" said Seto. Mahad mentally slapped himself. "Sorry, and yes, I used to come here" said Mahad. "Figures, I used to spot you, sitting alone" said Seto. "Yeah" said Mahad, not sure where Seto was going with this. "Your dad drops you off?" asked Seto, Mahad nodded his head, _what does he want from me?_ "And your mom picks you up?" Another nod. "You have a little sister?" Feeling uneasy, Mahad nodded his head "Where do you go during third period? You don't have any class, right?" asked Seto. _Has this guy been stocking me_, thought Mahad. "I'm waiting" said Seto. "Third period is my free period, the counselor said that I met nearly all my requirements and that I can't take a certain class, because it would mean I'd only have four classes in my senior year, so he didn't give the class this year, so I have five classes instead of six and I spend my free period in my freshmen health teacher's room, she invited me over, so I stay there and read, or sometimes help her in something" said Mahad. Seto smirked " I think that was the first time I heard you speak so long" he stood up. "Where you going?" asked Mahad. "See you tomorrow" said Seto he slipped out a paper from his pocket and walked off. Mahad looked at the paper Seto left and found Seto's phone number on it. _That guy is weird_, thought Mahad, _weird but okay._

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**Again, I'm not really good with the whole friend meets friend thing, I had to do this so I could show you guys how Seto accepted Mahad as a friend, I know, it's short and doesn't make much sense, sorry, I promise that the later chapters well make better sense. The next chapter I'll start working out the '**_**BIG SECRET ' **_

**If you have any questions, or if you don't get what's going on, contact me and I promise I'll answer back as soon as I can, and again, any reviews on how I could improve, I would appreciate that. So far, I'm not going to publish the next chapter until I get 8 reviews in total, I have 5, I just need two more. I'm not really sure in what you guys think about the story and I need to know if you like it our not. It's making me nervous when you guys don't review. Bye : ) **


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